Coated flakes.



F. LAUHOFP.

GOATED FLAKES.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.18,1907.

O L m g Q Gag 6 r J 06 IN ENTOR G 72. B

P. LAUHOFF.

COATED FLAKES.

APPLICATION FILED-TAN. 1a, 1907.

901,455. Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

"mu is WITNESSES L INVENTOR fi *1? 7 24416- Altomzy FRANK LAUHOFF, or nr'raorr, MICHIGAN.

COATED runs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

, Application fled. January 18, 1007. lurid Ila. 868,876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK LAUnorr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coated Flakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide coated cereal flakes as an article of manufacture, and the rocess of coating the flakes, wherein cereal akes are coated exteriorly, after their formation, with a suitable substance without saturation or absorption of the coating material, the coating substance consisting of a liquid applied to the exterior surfaces of the flakes in the form of a mist or vapor, the liquid being ver finely atomized by suitable means, the akes still retaining their normally non-saturated condition.

The article of manufacture produced is designed more particularly to rovidean improved and superior article 0 confection or food.

Figure l of the drawing submitted herewith shows a number of coated flakes. Fig. 2 shows a cake of compressed coated flakes. Fig. 3 shows a means of carrying out my invention, the mechanism being in vertical section and side elevation.

The flakes to be coated are preferably flakes made from cereal grits or granules subjected to a steaming process whereby the same are cooked, although I do not limit myself solely thereto, as I may within the scope of my invention employ cereal flakes embodied in the United States Letters Patent granted to me April 28, 1901, numbered $31,059, wherein rice flakes are formed of grits or granules drawn and compressed into films from the rice in its normally dry and rawcondition. I do not, however, limit myself to any specific method of forming the films or flakes which are to be coated by my improved process.

My invention contemplates taking cereal films or flakes, after their formation in any desired manner, and uniformly coating their exterior surfaces only with a suitable liquid applied to their exterior surfaces, as above stated, in the form of a mist or vapor or very finel atomized spray. The flakes are agitate or stirred or set in rapid motion as a flocculent mass while the vapor or atomized spray is bein applied thereto, the flakes being so rapifly agitated that the moisture of the vapor will not be absorbed or the flakes become impregnated or saturated thereby. The flakes to be coated, it should be understood, are very thin and readily dissolved, necessitatin a process-of treatment quite different rom processes heretofore em loyed in the treatment of other more so id substances. It has heretofore been found impossible to exteriorly coat such flakes, inasmuch as should the flakes absorb the moisture or become impregnated or saturated therewith, the moisture applied thereto would cause them to be dissolved and reduced to the form of mush. The liquid applied may consist of melted sugar, a mixture of molasses and licorice, for example, -or other analogous liquid substances, the coating substance consisting, preferably, of some sweetening material which may be flavored as desired and a plied to the flakes, as above observed. The akes so coated with a sweetening material form a delicious food or confectionery in themselves. My invention, however, contemplates, furthermore, as coming within its scope, very slightly compressing the coated flakes into packages or cakes or other bodies of desired form, as indicated in Fig. 2. The degree of compression required should be only sufiicient to make the coated flakes adhere together so as to reduce the article of manufacture to a molded form. The resultant cake, it will be understood, is in the form of a porous flocculent mass, their reductionto a solid mass being preferably avoided. v

When it is desired to press the flakes into a given form, they are preferably coated with a substance more or less adhesive. Various substances may be applied to the exterior surfaces of the flakes to coat the same and .to make them adhere when compressed, withare fed. Into the cylinder projects a per-' forated'pipe indicated at 1) formed with suitable atomizing orifices preferably on the underside thereof, the perforated pipe constituting an atomizer for the coating liquid,

the pipe communicating with a suitable reservoir or tank indicate at 0 contammg the liquid employed, any suitable means, as 1ndicated at d, being provlded to heat the li uid, should it be required. The liquid is fdb throu h the atomizlng pipe, under a considerab e pressure, as under a pneumatic pressure applied upon the contents of the reservoir or tank, so as to very finely atomize or vaporize the liquid as it is forced from the atomizing pipe upon the flakes. The flakes at the same time, as above observed, are set in rapid motion, and a itated as the cylinder is being revolved. T e cylinder is also preferab y elevated at a suitable incline so that the flakes when coated will work quickly to the discharge end thereof where they are preferably passed upon the carrieror belt indicated at e and permitted to dry, the operation of coating and discharging the flakes being rapidly con-, ducted to prevent any .absorption or saturation or impregnation of the flakes with the coating liquid. I have shown in the draw ings an air pump whereby I secure a pneumatic pressure upon the contents of the liquid reservoir.

The flakes are indicated the reference.

letter g.

My invention will now beunder'stood. What I claim as my invention is: 1. The herein described recess of roducing unsaturated, coated t 'n cereal s or flakes, consisting of spraying tlie -exterior.

surfaces of, thin cereal films or flakes with a finely atomized mist or vapor.

2. In the process of producing thin unsaturated coated cereal films or flakes, agitating the flakes as a flocculent mass, and

simultaneously applying a coating substance 40 into desired form.

4. In the process of coating thin cereal films or flakes agitating and moving forward 5 vapor.

5. As an article of manufacture unsaturated exteriorly coated thin cereal films or flakes. ,6. As an article of manufacture unsatu- Qr'ated thin cereal films or flakes having their exterior surfaces coated with a sweetening.

substance. q

-7. As an article of manufacture a mass or rocess of treat- ,4

flakes while the flakes 5 cake formed of unsaturated thin cereal films 7' or flakes coated upon their exterior surfaces with an adherent substance.

In testimon whereof I aflix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

' FRANK LAUHOFF. Witnesses:

N. s. Willem, E. M. Srmmmno. 

